Contemporary Corporate Behaviors Taken by Traditional Food Producing Companies and the Increasingly Oligopolistic Structure of their Markets : : Case Study of Miso Production

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Other Title
  • 伝統食品製造企業の今日的企業行動と市場構造の寡占化 : みそ製造業を事例として
  • デントウ ショクヒン セイゾウ キギョウ ノ コンニチテキ キギョウ コウドウ ト シジョウ コウゾウ ノ カセンカ : ミソセイゾウギョウ オ ジレイ ト シテ

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Description

The theme of this paper is the changing corporate behaviors taken by miso producing companies and the oligopoly of the market structure. Our purpose is to discuss and examine the changes in the environment, then, actions taken by the companies, and finally, the market structure. The analysis of the statistical materials and the survey on a sample company, Hikari-miso Inc., revealed the following three points. First, in addition to the unfavorable change in consumers' preference, it has been impossible, since the year 2000, to transfer the rising prices of raw materials to the sales prices, which was not the case previously. As a result of these circumstances, the market size is further shrinking. Second, given the market situation, the sample company, which is the fastest growing among the leading companies, has been taking measures since 1997 to reduce its variable costs and employ economies of scale, while strengthening its capital-intensive production system. Third, in the changing environment, the market is evolving toward an oligopolistic structure as only some companies manage to lower their sales prices like Hikari-miso Inc. while others do not. This tendency supports the hypothesis that miso is experiencing a decrease in its fragmented and localized industry characteristics, just like other food commodities, indicating that the unique features of this food commodity, pointed out by preceding studies, are starting to alter.

Journal

  • 農村研究

    農村研究 (114), 13-24, 2012-03

    東京 : 食料・農業・農村経済学会

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